Final Post and Thanks for EDUC 6165 class

                    I want to make a special post for the final week in this Communication and Collaboration class. Some of you I have already had many classes with and have come to know you well. With others, this is our first class together. I have enjoyed EACH of you throughout this course and have learned much from each discussion and blog. You all have nice blogs with wonderful information for the early childhood field. I only have two more classes and then my Capstone in the Spring. I am so excited to be so close!

                     I hope I have made valuable posts and responses and shared useful information for you like you have for me. If I do not have another class with you, I would love to stay connected beyond Walden University. If you would like to add me on Facebook, here is my page: https://www.facebook.com/jmhollingsworth
I am familiar with your names and I would love to have you as a friend :-)

Thank you and hope to see you again and good luck finishing out your classes!

Team Development and Adjourning

As I think about the five stages of team development I think about how the teams I have been involved in worked during each of these stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. The adjourning stage is pretty important because it serves as a chance to learn from any mistakes and evaluate the efforts put forth by the team, good or bad. Our mistakes are what teach us how to be better. Out of all the groups I have participated in, I would say that it was hardest to leave my group of colleagues from my sophomore year in college. After just two years of working together with them we had formed a relationship and all had succeeded at getting our Associates degree. It was also our first experience with college so it was sort of sentimental. We had taught each other so many valuable lessons in our work and took away with much more than we had begun with because of the people we were with.

I will feel the same way with the group of colleagues I have worked with at Walden. Even though we have not met face-to face, I have gotten to know everyone on a personal level thanks to the blogs and discussions. I like the challenges my colleagues have given me and I have more confidence in my communication and networking skills thanks to my classmates. 

Conflict resolutions

I have had my fair share of conflicts in my professional and personal life. I would like to discuss a conflict I am having with my director. I have had many with her and the one I want to discuss is happening currently.

At my school, my new class starts August, 18. I work in the baby room with one other teacher and right now my 7 “babies” have turned into toddlers because is it the end of the school year. They are 13-19 months, walking everywhere and getting into everything. Our ratio is 4 babies to 1 teacher and with 7 kids we have 1 space open. My new class will be brand new babies in the age range of 2 months to 6 months. I have one more week (next week) with my current class of toddlers and then our end of the year party will be next Friday. My director told me that one of my new babies will be coming to my room a week early because her mother needs to go back to work and she cannot wait until August 18^th. This baby is 3 months old. This stresses me out because I foresee numerous possible problems. How am I going to keep the toddlers off of this delicate baby? Will each child still be able to have their needs met with this new baby? Will the baby be able to sleep with so much noise in the classroom a large majority of the day? How can we go outside and play like we do everyday? The list could go on. I expressed these to the director and she told me that it will work out fine and if I have any issues during the week to come to her. She said it is only for a week and 2 days and it should not be that bad. She has helped me pull out new toys, a swing, and a bouncer. I feel as if she has only deflected the issue and not addressed it to my satisfaction. I want a third teacher in my room but she does not want to pay for that to help me and my co-teacher. I feel that all she cares about is bringing money into the preschool without considering quality or the teacher’s opinions. I do not believe this goes against Alabama DHR standards. On rare occasions I have heard of schools that use this style of teaching with having children of all ages on one room instead of the widely used style with children of the same age in one room. So, I guess she is not breaking a law or standard, I am just flustered and dread next week and wish my director would not put me in these situations. So far I have tried to use Magna Gerber’s 3R’s to communicate effectively with my director. I have spoken in a respectful way and in a way that expresses my faith in her decisions.

Is it good for me to push my frustrations down and take this challenge on? Do I need to be more understanding of this parent and my director’s decision?  How do I keep this incident from harming my critical and sometimes nice relationship with my boss? Thank you for any advice!